Calf weaner



. i- 20, 1940- P. KELLY 2,212,160

CALF WEANER Filed May 24, 1939 2 .Sheet s-Sheet 1 Inventor Aug. 20,1940. KELLY 2,212,160

CALF WEANER Filed May 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m" 9m By A iiorneys Patented Aug. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE one-half to Clifford L.

Wash.

Benedict, Anatone,

Application May 24, 1939, Serial No. 275,517

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in calf or cow weaners and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a self contained electrical 5 apparatus of this character which is carried by the animal and which, should sucking be at! tempted, will subject both animals to an electric shock.

Another very important object of the invention 10 is to provide an electric calf or cow weaning apparatus of the aforementioned character comprising switch means of a novel construction and arrangement for controlling the flow of current.

Other objects of the invention are to provide 5 an electric weaner of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly eflicient and reliable in use, compact, light in weight and which may be manufacturedat low cost.

20 All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference 25 designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a view in side elevation, showing an electrical weaning apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention mounted in 3 position for use.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the battery and coil unit, a portion of the case being broken away in section.

Figure 3 is a'view in front elevation of the 35 switch unit. V

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of. the switch unit.

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of the switch 40 Figure 6 is a view in rear elevation of the front plate of the switch unit.

Figure 7 is a view in front elevation of the rear plate of the switch unit.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating 45 the electric circuit.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the apparatus which has been illustrated comprises a switch unit-which is designated generally by the refer- 5 ence numeral I. The switch unit I is adapted to be secured in any suitable manner on the nose band 2 of a conventional halter or the like 3.

The unit I.comprises a pair of complemental plates l and 5 of suitable insulating material 55 which are hingedly connected at their upper edges, as at 6. Thus, the plates 4 and 5 are adapted to swing toward and away from each other. Formed in the opposed faces of the plates I and 5 are sockets I for the reception of coil springs 8 which yieldingly urge said plates apart. 5

Extending across the lower front portion of the plate I is a conductor bar 9 of suitable metal having its end portions secured to the sides of said plate 4, as at I0. Fixed at an intermediate point on the conductor bar 9 is a contact II. The con- 10 tact I I is in the form of a resilient, angular hook or latch which is engageable with the plate 5 in the manner shown to advantage in Fig. 5 of the drawings, a recess or groove I2 being provided in said plate 5 for the reception of the free end portion of said contact. Thus, the coil springs 8 are prevented from swinging the plates 4 and 5 too far apart.

Embedded in the inner face of the plate I is a flat, substantially U-shaped conductor I3. The

conductor I3 terminates, at its ends, in loops I I constituting contacts which project from the lower end of the plate 4, the free ends of said contacts I4 being embedded in said plate. This is also shown to advantage in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The reference numeral I5 designates contact points which are mounted on the inner face of the plate 5 and which are engageable with the conductor I3.

- In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the reference numeral I6 designates generally what may bereferred to as the. electric power unit. The unit I6 includes a case ll of suitable material for the reception of, a coil I8 and a dry cell battery IS. A supporting strap 20 is connected to the case I1 for suspending the unit I6 from the neck of the animal, as at 2|.

It is thought that the operation of the invention will be readily apparent from a consideration or the foregoing. Briefly, the contacts ii are held out of. engagement with the conductor I3 by the coil springs 8. Of course, the conductor bar 9 and the contacts I5 are in circuit with the battery I9 and the coil I8 of the unit I5, as seen in Figure 8 of the drawings. The conductors 22 which electrically connect the units I and I6 pass upwardly from said unit I over the head of the animal between the ears where they may be secured in any suitable manner to the head strap of the halter I and then downwardly to said unit I6. Should sucking be attempted, the bar 5 is engaged with the cow and sumcient pressure is exerted to swing the block 4 rearwardly towardv the block 5 against the tension of the coil springs I; thus engaging the conductor I3 with the contacts l5. This forms a main circuit from the battery I9, right hand wire of Figure 8, parts l5 and i3, the left hand wire, member l8 and the lowest wire back to the battery and a second circuit is formed from the cows body through parts [4 and IS, the left hand contact 95, the

left hand wire, part l8, the center wire, the part 9 through the cow's body back to the parts M and [3. As the part II is in contact with the calfs nose the touching of. the cow by the calf will cause part of the current to flow through the calf as well as the cow.

It is believed that the many advantages of an electric calf weaner constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of. con,- structionand in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is: l

1. An electric weaning device of the character described comprising a switch unit adapted to,

be mounted on an animal's nose, said unit including a pair of hingedly connected plates, resilient means yieldingly urging said plates apart, opposed contactson the plates engageable with each other when the plates are pressed toward each other, a source of electric current closed when said Opp sed contacts engage each other, said source including an induction coil located in the circuit, a metal member projecting from one plate and connected with the contact on said plate and. adapted to engage an animal, a second animal engaging member projecting from said one plate and electrically connected with the coil and a projection carried by said second animal engaging member for engaging a part of the first mentioned animal.

2. An electric weaning device of the character described comprising a switch unit adapted to be mounted on the nose of an animal, said unit including a pair of plates of insulating material.

hingedly connected to each other, a conductor bar mounted on one of the plates and adapted to engag another animal, a contact on said conductor bar electrically engageable with the first animal, said contact being in the form of an angular, resilient hook engageable with the other plate for limiting the swinging movement of the plates away from each other, springs mounted between the plates for opening said plates, 9. second contact mounted on said one plate and having a. projecting partfor engaging said second animal, contacts mounted on said other plate and bridged by the second contact when the plates are closed and means for'electrically connecting the contacts mounted on said other plate and the conductor bar with a source of electriccurrent.

3. An electric weaning device of. the character described comprising a switch unit adapted to be mounted on the nose of an animal, said unit including a pair of plates of insulating material hingedly connected to each other, a conductor bar mounted on one of the plates and adapted to engage another animal, a contact on said conductor bar electrically engageable with the first animal, said contact being in the form of an angular, resilient hook engageable with the other plate for limiting the swinging movement oi the plates away from each other, springs mounted between the plates for opening said plates, a second contact mounted on said one plate and being substantially U -shaped and having its limbs terminating in loops projectingbeyond one of the marginal edges of said one plate for 'contacting said second animal, contacts mounted on said otherplate and bridged by a part of the second contact when the'plates are closed and means for connecting the contacts mounted on said other plate and the conductor bar with a source of electric current.

4. An electric weaning device of the character described comprising a switch unit 'adapted'to be mounted on the nose of an animal, said unit including a pair of opposed, hingedly connected plates of insulating material, said plates havingopposed sockets .in their inner faces, coil springs engaged in the sockets for yieldingly urging the plates apart, contacts mounted on one oi the plates, a substantially U-shaped contact mounted on the other plate, said substantially U-shaped contact terminating, at its ends, in loops projecting beyond one of the edges of said other plate, a conductor bar mounted transversely on said other plate and engageable with another animal, a contact mounted on said conductor bar and engageable with the first named animal, the third named contact being electrically connectible with the loops of the substantially U-shaped contact by said other animal, said third named contact comprising a resilient hook engageable with said one plate for limiting the swinging movement of the plates away from each other under the in- PATRICK H. KELLY. 

